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Welcome To The Real World: NHS Students Juggle Work, School

During her senior year, Northview student Ashley Snow maintained her GPA, cheered on the varsity cheerleading squad and was involved in other extracurricular activities. She also worked as an office assistant five days a week. And she worked at the Atmore YMCA. And she worked at the Movie Gallery.

Ashley is one of 27 students enrolled in the Diversified Career Technology/Career Education Clubs of Florida class at Northview High School. It’s a program that is sometimes called OJT, or on the job training. Students like Ashley take three to six periods in school at Northview; then they earn classroom credit for working their jobs under the watchful eye of DCT instructor Tommy Weaver.

“We call it the ‘world of work’,” Weaver said of his class. “It’s a welcome to the real world.”

At one point during the year, Ashley was juggling school and a 40-45 hour work week under the DCT program.

“I didn’t have a social life. I didn’t have time to sleep,” she said. She’s since quit her job at the YMCA, but continues to work at the Movie Gallery. She also will continue her job as a paid student aide in the Northview office until the end of the school year.

For senior Amie Sutton (pictured left), the DCT program has allowed her to advance in her job. She started as a cashier at the Piggly Wiggly in Century, and now her duties include working as an office clerk, managing cash, checks, money orders and more. She’s learned that advancing in a career has its perks.

“I can tell people what to do,” Sutton said. “But I hate when a customer is rude.”

“Yeah, sometimes when they have late fees they don’t want to pay, people can be so rude,” Ashley said. It’s that “welcome to the real world” that Weaver mentioned.

“It can get real hectic at times,” Jessica Mothershed said of her job as a paid aide in the Northview office. “Sometimes you can lose track because so many people want you to do so many different things.”

Jessica said she is glad she had the opportunity to get the Northview office job through the DCT program. “It’s been a great chance to get real experience, and the people I work with are just wonderful.”

Summer Sanders said it was necessary for her to work while attending school and that she was thankful for the opportunities presented by the DCT class.

“They are a great group of students who have work extremely hard to maintain jobs as well as attend school,” Summer said, thanking Weaver for helping her find her first job at David’s Catfish and her current job at Century Care Center.

I Enjoy working at the Care Center,” she said. “The staff is really nice and caring, and the residents just have a way of brightening my day when I’m having a bad day. It is a great environment to work in.”

Tiffany Chance found her job, well, by accident. An accident landed her at the chiropractor.  She found chiropractic work interesting, and now she works at Newlin Chiropractic in Pensacola through the Northview DCT program.

“I just fell in love with the people at the chiropractic office after my accident, and they offered me a job,” she said. “I love having a job where I can help people. There’s nothing bad about it; it is all positive.”

But without the ability to take part in the NHS DCT program, Tiffany said it would be unlikely that she would have the job that she believes will prepare her for life after high school.

“It has taught me to accomplish tasks for myself,” Tiffany said. “It has definitely prepared me for the real world.”

Classroom time in the DCT program does work to prepare students for the real world.

Students learn how to write a resume, conduct an interview and even file their taxes.

Students receive both a classroom grade and a grade from their work supervisors. Good performance is important to maintaining or improving a GPA; students can earn up to five A’s per nine weeks in the DCT program. It is possible for a senior to take DCT, English and Government/Economics during the first three periods of the school day, then leave for work. Their employers are required to provide them with one hour of work for each period they are out of school.

But Weaver encourages the students to not be all work and no play; they are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and to return to campus for school events like pep rallies.

“They are a great group of kids,” Weaver said.

Amanda Barrow, manager of the Atmore Movie Gallery where Ashley works, agrees.

“I couldn’t ask for a better employee. She accepts responsibility. Everyone would wish for an employee as work oriented as Ashley,” Barrow said. “I think it (DCT) is a great program. It gives students the hands-on training they need before they are pursuing their careers.”

Ashley worked as a night nursery attendant during her time at the Atmore YMCA and found out that the DCT program can even provide life lessons.

“I don’t want kids anymore,” she said.

Members of the Northview 2008-2009 DCT program are listed below with their employer:

• Michelle Bellamy, Century Care Center, Century
• Joshua Black, Ernest Ward Middle School, Walnut Hill
• Gretchen Boughner, Whataburger, Century
• Andrew Bowlan, Whataburger, Cantonment
• Richard Braun, Northview High School, Bratt
• Brittany Brown, Country Charms, Atmore
• Tiffany Chance, Newlin Chiropractic, Pensacola
• Matthew Coffee, Winn-Dixie, Cantonment
• Stephanie Doucette, Grocery Advantage, Cantonment
• Whitney Flurnoy, Buster’s Restaurant, Atmore
• Melissa Garrett, Grocery Advantage, Cantonment
• Jasey Gibson, Whataburger, Cantonment
• Jesse Grimes, Piggly Wiggly, Davisville
• Denise Hart, Northview High School, Bratt
• Blaine Jeter, Pee Wee Construction, Atmore
• Dalton Justice, Right Lead Ranch, Walnut Hill
• Ryan Lamber, Smith Tractor, Atmore
• Adam Martin, Pee Wee Construction, Atmore
• Steven Meadows, Chuck E. Cheese, Pensacola
• Jessica Mothershed, Northview High School, Bratt
• Dustin Odom, Subway, Atmore
• Caitlin Roley, Northview High School, Bratt
• Summer Sanders, Century Care Century, Century
• Haley Smith, Northview High School, Bratt
• Ashley Snow, Movie Gallery, Atmore
• Amie Sutton, Piggly Wiggly, Century
• Kayla Wheeler, Winn Dixie, Cantonment

For more on the DCT program at Northview, click here.
Pictured top: Jessica Mothershed (left) and Tiffany Chance are two of 27 students in the DCT program at Northview High School. Pictured inset: Amie Sutton works at Century’s Piggly Wiggly in the DCT program. Pictured below: Escambia County School Superintendent  Malcolm Thomas visits with DCT student Ashley Snow, who works as an office aide at NHS. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.